Doctor of Physical Therapy

Info

Physical Therapy is a health profession that assesses and provides treatment to individuals to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement and function throughout life. It can be restorative after a major injury, habilitative for those who are developmentally delayed, and preventative for those experiencing a decline in ability.

Mission

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is a graduate-level program designed to provide a comprehensive program of excellence to prepare direct access ready physical therapists to meet the needs of North Carolina in a manner consistent with high professional values.

Program Philosophy

The faculty of the UNC Division of Physical Therapy are committed to developing graduates who are effective communicators, critical thinkers, and skilled at integrating evidence into practice. Graduates demonstrate excellence in diagnosis, intervention, consultation, and teaching, administration and are effective at working with patients acrossthe lifespan and the continuum of care. Our educational focus is on preparing clinicians as skilled direct access ready physical therapists with a broad background upon which they may later choose to develop expertise as a specialist. In addition, our graduates gain an appreciation for a life-long career commitment and professional development for integration with other health care disciplines and for community service.

The program is accredited through 2017 by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.